This Nonsense about Gas Stoves Ban

The newest cultural outrage being astroturfed is regarding gas stoves. While I am irritated by these stupid, and obviously fake-outrage bursts from politicians, I am also someone who loves cooking on my gas stove. So let us get to the bottom of this issue to see what is going on. But first, let us agree on one hidden truth about all cooking (grills, gas, charcoal, wood fires, or electric) pollutes the air with volatile chemicals and particulates.

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What Nonsense-Outrage Now?

I’ll NEVER give up my gas stove. If the maniacs in the White House come for my stove, they can pry it from my cold dead hands. COME AND TAKE IT!!

Republican Ronny Jackson, quote from Twitter

My first response was “what the?” And then I did some reading and realized, like with other similar “culture war” edicts throughout our political history, this was an overblown, fear-mongering, extrapolation of some off-hand remark, that contained a speck of something truthful. These politicians feign shock and dismay at something that has been going on for years now, just below the federal level.

The underlying truths are:

• All cooking pollutes the air with smoke and other particulates, and unhealthy volatile chemicals.
• Starting in the 1930s the natural gas people started an advertisement blitz that continues to today, making gas seem the best in culinary equipment, that separates the Chefs from mere cooks.
• These companies pushed the idea of calling the gas “natural”, so that “natural gas” would appear to be a better fuel.
• Studies going back to the 1990s have shown the negative impact of gas stoves and other gas appliances on health, and the environment. The NYT stated that for over 50 years scientists have collected “irrefutable evidence” about the dangers of gas stoves.
• Gas home appliances, including stoves, are in fact more dangerous (re: health and emissions) to operate in a home than the other two options we currently have available: electric and induction stoves.
• For 4+ years, since 2019, cities, counties, and states have been passing ordinances called “building decarbonization” which are efforts to curb building emissions and improve home safety.
  • California defines building decarbonization as activities and programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.
• Only about 40% of the USA population cooks on gas stoves, and the majority of them are located in California, New York, New Jersey, and scattered about the Mid-Atlantic (1). 

WaPo has some good articles on the recent political explosion over gas stoves. And writes that this kitchen fight is about the environment, health, safety, culture, money, geography, design, identity, the past and the future, heritage and change, knowledge and the unknown. Also, cooking. The politicians, which so far seem to be all men, are expressing outgrage that the federal government is going to come into our houses and take away our gas stoves, knowing full well they are not being truthful (2); regulators have no plans to ban gas stoves, but Republicans are slamming the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for announcing it will examine the health impacts of the appliances.

Fossil fuel political allies, predominantly republicans with a democrat here or there, are gathering to “support the gas stove” as part of an organized attempt to fight back on a national environmental agenda. And it all started, according to WAPO, when a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an agency charged with protecting the public from dangerous household products, said in mid-December that the commission will consider regulating indoor air pollution from gas stoves. Then the same member made a side “loose lips” comment that he had not ruled out a ban on the appliances. That was all it took.

Despite knowing that new regulations or even a ban, are never retroactive and would affect new stoves and not existing stoves, complaints were made and the outrageous comment quoted above is the result. These industry paid politicians are stoking fear that the government will come into our homes and forcibly take our gas stoves as a way to forward their ultimate goal: to end or at least reduce environmental protection regulations.

Then these same people, backed by natural gas companies, started to fight against any environmental agenda that limits gas use in any way. They have successfully pushed, in republican controlled states, pre-emption laws that prohibit banning natural gas (see map below). They also helped Ohio politicians push a narrative that natural gas is a safe and clean fuel (3), when based on the science it is not. Finally, GizModo writes the propane industry is paying TV influencers to shill for fossil fuels.

So lets look at the facts.

The Politics of Influence

I just found out that the USA’s EPA does not, and actually cannot, regulate indoor air pollution, because it lacks the authority to do so under the Clean Air Act. That Act only covers sources such as automobiles, power plants and other industrial facilities. In fact, since 1986, EPA scientists have written to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to express concerns about the potential health risks associated with gas stove pollution.

Importantly, remember the “outrage” over other changes made for our safety or the environment.

• Banning hair blow dryers that spewed asbestos
• Switching to low-flow toilets
• Fighting over USAs “inalienable right to a lush, green lawn” (1)
• Switching to LED lightbulbs

But the gas and oil industry has been on top of things from the beginning. For instance, way back in the 1930s, the gas industry produced commercials, advertisements and slogans connecting “cooking with gas” with culinary happiness. Beginning in the 1990s, the gas industry faced a new challenge as studies started to provide evidence that burning gas indoors can contribute to serious health problems. So these gas companies have, in recent decades, upped their game by hiring PR firms to glamorize gas cooking, and importantly, oppose local bans on gas appliances in new buildings according to MotherJones. They are well aware that burning natural gas, in commercial or residential buildings, accounts for ~10% of all USA emissions. And we know why they spend the big bucks, for laid bare, they just do not want to see their sales impacted. This is a story of greed.

These studies and facts about natural gas and gas stoves (and other appliances) prompted 42 municipalities to phase out gas in new buildings, according to MotherJones. The policies are not just about stoves, but generally about using natural gas as an energy resource in residential buildings and businesses. The whole focus is making these buildings safer, and more environmentally friendly. And note, this has been building for many years now.

• In 2019, Berkeley CA, became the first city in the U.S. to modify its building code to ban gas hookups in new buildings. 
• 2021, New York City, passed a ban on gas hookups in new buildings
• 2022, these places followed: the state of Washington, Massachusetts, Montgomery County, (MD), Los Angeles, and California state (4).
• FastCompany writes that 99 U.S. cities and counties now have some form of building decarbonization ordinance in place

But all the while, the gas companies, along with their funded organizations, lobbyists, and politicians are aggressively fighting against these moves to improve our environment and health. Some of the actions they are taking are being revealed and detailed by news organizations, and I find they are downright underhanded and devious.

In 2020, MotherJones published an article titled, The Gas Industry Is Paying Instagram Influencers to Gush Over Gas Stoves. They write, since at least 2018, social media and wellness personalities have been hired to post more than 100 posts extolling the virtues of their stoves in sponsored posts. Documents from the fossil fuel watchdog Climate Investigations Center show that another trade group, the American Public Gas Association [spent] another $300,000 on its millennial-centric “Natural Gas Genius” campaign in 2020.

MotherJones connected industries with similar tactics: Like the tobacco industry’s misleading marketing campaigns, the gas companies have given the public false faith in these stovetops’ safety in the face of a growing body of research that proves otherwise. So in summation, the recent emotional explosion over gas stoves is not news, not honest, and not organic; but is a concerted effort by gas companies to downplay the science and make this an issue of governmental and democratic overreach.

Home Cooking

Here are some truths about our stoves, and yes gas stoves do leak toxic gases, use up limited resources, and contribute to global warming; while electric and induction not so much. But let’s look at this in some detail.

USA Cooking Stoves

Gas: Gas stoves rely on a mixture of oxygen and natural gas (which is 70% straight methane, 5) and a source of ignition that sparks the flame (6). That open flame provides instant heat, that is transferred directly to the pot or pan. The main pollutants from a gas stove are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, along with tiny airborne particles known as PM2.5,  and water vapor. 

• Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly toxin. In one study, 51% of kitchen ranges tested raised CO concentrations in the room above the EPA standard of 9 ppm. 5% had carbon monoxide levels above 200 ppm.
• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a non-toxic gas produced during complete combustion. At higher concentrations can cause drowsiness, headache, and lead to a “stuffy” feeling in a home.
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) effects the respiratory system and is associated with heart attacks. Children who inhale this gas increase their risk of respiratory infection, and may lead to poorer lung function as adults (7).
• They also leak benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer (7a).
• A study published last year found that more than 75% of the stoves’ emissions happen when they are not in use.
• One recent study estimated that more than one-fifth of all childhood asthma cases are caused by gas stoves (8).
• Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) are an air pollutant, and lung irritant that effects people’s health when levels in air are high (9).
• Excess water vapor in the home leads to mold problems, wood rot, and maybe peeling paint.

Traditional electric: Also known as radiant cooktops, these appliances rely on the slow process of conducting heat from a coil to the cookware. They provide consistent heat, but less control on the amount of heat. Those coils may be exposed or under a ceramic glass surface.

• The electric elements in electric ranges do not produce combustion pollutants (10).
• Burning food (and self cleaning ovens) produces smoke and carbon monoxide, causing smoke and CO detectors to alarm.
• Open windows, turn on fan hoods, and leave the house until concentrations drop. If anyone experiences health problems, medical attention should be sought. 
• However, the NFPA reports households that use electric ranges have a higher risk of cooking fires and associated losses than those using gas ranges.

Even the Consumer Reports folks note that electric ranges can easily outpace gas ones, when it comes to efficiency and heat dispensation.

Induction: Induction cooktops employ copper coils under the ceramic to create a magnetic field that sends pulses into the cookware. This causes the electrons in the pot or pan to move faster, resulting in heat. TCD writes after testing, induction stoves can boil water faster than gas stoves. So these stoves are fast, environmentally friendly, safer, and less likely to make a mess. But they are more expensive, you need to have certain cookware (cast iron is ok), and it makes a soft hum when in use. The other thing to note, Mise en place will be important as the cooking is faster, so you need to prepare everything before you start cooking, and if no electricity, no cooking.

Global Stoves Additions

Globally, there are three additional stove options people use for cooking that are not normally a part of USA kitchens these days.

Propane Stoves: Let me first start by clarifying a confusing matter, natural gas and propane are not the same thing. Propane is actually a byproduct of petroleum refining, and natural gas processing, along with other hydrocarbons like butane, ethane, and pentane. However, California writes Natural gas and propane stoves can both release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other harmful pollutants into the air, which can be toxic to people and pets.

• We have a propane stove in our RV, and I have already posted about it; when in use, we open the nearby window and exterior door, and NEVER use the stovetop for heat. Propane is combustible in air, so precautions are needed to operate the equipment safely.

Wood Fire Stoves: California writes that using a wood stove or fireplace to cook can result in high levels of indoor air pollution from wood smoke. Savuer writes wood-burning open fires give off the same mount of smoke as 20 packs of cigarettes per hour, which makes smoke inhalation a major health risk in poorly-ventilated homes. According to the EPA, smoke inhalation can lead to heart and lung diseases, as well as a long list of respiratory problems.

Charcoal Cooking: Studies show charcoal produces large amounts of carbon monoxide and that it only takes a small amount of CO in the air to produce symptoms of CO poisoning and even death. Never use charcoal in a confined area.

The Recent Science

The studies are not new, although I am only referencing recent studies, but what is new is the conversation about how our personal life choices play a role in the global environmental crisis. Natural gas is in our homes in various appliances (water heaters, furnaces, stoves, clothes dryers, etc.) and it turns out they are not safe for our health or the environment.

Studies have shown that these appliances leak even when not in use. They can trigger respiratory disease and even cancer, they can set up childhood asthma, can pollute our homes equivalent to having a smoker in the home, and generally contribute to the release of greenhouse gasses.

• Again, WAPO articles referenced the 2022 study that writes: Indoor gas stove use for cooking is associated with an increased risk of current asthma among children and is prevalent in 35% of households in the United States (US). Further, they conclude: 12.7% of current childhood asthma nationwide is attributed to gas stove use, which is similar to the childhood asthma burden attributed to secondhand smoke exposure .
• The next 2022 study referenced states: Natural gas stoves in >40 million U.S. residences release methane (CH₄)─a potent greenhouse gas─through post-meter leaks and incomplete combustion. They go on to say: Using a 20-year timeframe for methane, annual methane emissions from all gas stoves in U.S. homes have a climate impact comparable to the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 500,000 cars. In addition to methane emissions, co-emitted health-damaging air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NO_x) are released into home air and can trigger respiratory diseases. 
• A 2022 study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and PSE Healthy Energy showed that gas appliances also introduce other toxic chemicals into homes. The researchers collected unburned gas from stoves and building pipelines in the greater Boston area. In their analysis, they identified 21 different hazardous air pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). For example, benzene, hexane, and toluene were present in almost all of the gas samples tested. Exposure to some VOCs raises risks for asthma, cancer, and other illnesses.
• One 2022 California study says that: we found that NG (natural gas) leakage from stoves and ovens while not in use can result in indoor benzene concentrations that can exceed the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 8-h Reference Exposure Level of 0.94 ppbv─benzene concentrations comparable to environmental tobacco smoke.
• UCLA published a 2020 study that showed: Under a cooking scenario where the stove and oven are used simultaneously for an hour, acute exposures to NO₂ from cooking with gas appliances exceed the levels of national and California-based ambient air quality thresholds in more than 90% of modeled emission scenarios.
• A 2019 study looked at all gas-powered appliances and concluded that yes these appliances leak methane and contribute to greenhouse counts. Annually, ∼30Gg of methane emissions can be attributed to U.S. residential NG appliances, corresponding to ∼830Gg carbon dioxide equivalent. This accounts for ∼0.1% of U.S. anthropogenic methane emissions (which account for ∼10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions) and corresponds to an emission factor of 0.38 g/kg of NG consumed.

Can You Mitigate Your Gas Stove?

All of the referenced material in this post had some comments related to what can be done to remove the issues coming up with gas stoves. So I have collected those ideas here, and plan on following them myself.

• Open windows while you are cooking.
• Use a properly-installed, high efficiency range hood over your stove.
• Make sure the range hood ventilates outdoors.
• Cook on the back burners, as most exhaust systems work best there.
• Clean the range hood regularly so it operates as best it can.
• If there is no range hood, use a wall or ceiling exhaust fan while cooking.
• Have a HEPA air-purifier in the home near the kitchen to clean particulates.
• Utilize non-gas appliances.
  • For instance, I heat water now in an electric kettle, not on the gas stove, as its faster.
  • Use the microwave.
  • Use an instapot or slow cooker.
  • Another example is I use the electronic Air Fryer Toaster Oven more than my gas oven.
• Or just move to electronic or induction stoves using The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, that included provisions for a rebate program to help us make the switch from gas to electric stoves. Depending on your specific situation, you can receive a rebate of up to $840 on a new electric stove purchase.

Summary

In response to obvious climate change, and scientific studies about the dangers of gas use in homes, policy makers on the city, county and state levels have, for years, been working to reduce emissions and improve public health by setting standards for gas appliances in buildings, including the home. In many cases the policies have been to ban future construction from using gas appliances, but also have included funding for helping people change out gas for electric stoves now.

So here are the questions I imagine being asked at this point.

• Is natural gas a fossil fuel? Yes.
• Is natural gas methane? Yes, ~70% of it.
• Does producing, delivering and using natural gas produce greenhouse gasses? Yes.
• Will governmental people come into your home to take away my gas stove? No.
• Is this an overreach of government? No, government has a public health and environmental duty to assure things we buy and use are safe.
• Is the science detailing the problems with gas appliances faulty? Not in general, and there is a lot of science. But, natural gas funded articles, politicians, cooks and bloggers certainly imply that they are.
• Are there similarities between gas producers’ and cigarette manufacturers’ propaganda regarding health and safety? Yes.
• Are there similarities between gas producers’ and petroleum manufacturers’ responses regarding global warming? Yes.

So what should I do as a gas stove owner? First, the government will not take away my stove, so I am not worried about that. Second, I appreciate being informed about the dangers my gas stove is emitting and will be following the mitigation suggestions. Third, as I have just bought this gas stove, my next stove will probably be induction. In fact, a lot of RVers are looking at replacing propane for induction in their vehicles.

However, I am also thinking seriously about our gas water heater, gas furnace, and gas dryer. These are older machines bound to die soon and I will change them all over to electric or induction as gas does not make them work any better. I have to admit, I have been looking at new electric heat pumps for our home heating.

—Patty

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